Deportivo La Coruna beat Valencia 3-0 for its first defeat of the La Liga season on Sunday afternoon.

Deportivo entered the round in last place after losing four straight games and hosting a Valencia side that had yet to lose.

Article continues below ...

In need of a win, first-year coach Victor Fernandez revamped his starting 11 with several changes.

The decision worked and Deportivo outplayed the visitors throughout, pressuring up the pitch and never letting Valencia’s midfield connect with striker Paco Alcacer.

Haris Medunjanin almost put Deportivo ahead with a free kick that hit the crossbar and bounced off the back of goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez’s head before falling outside the upright.

But the resulting corner kick gave the hosts the lead in the 36th when the ball eventually went in after ricocheting off Valencia’s Shkodran Mustafi, the bar and fellow defender Jose Gaya’s arm.

Lucas Perez took Deportivo’s second goal in the 43rd to cap a perfect debut for his hometown team at the age of 26. Striker Ivan Cavaleiro headed the ball on for the forward to fire in off the far post.

Valencia manager Nuno Espirito Santo made two changes at halftime, but the closest his team would come to scoring was Antonio Barragan’s deflected pass that found the post before Deportivo substitute Jose Toche put the result beyond doubt on the break in the 79th.